Mechanism for measuring color change



NOV. 17, 1936. c, E, TARV|N ET AL 2,060,957

MECHANISM FOR MEASURING COLOR CHANGE Filed Jan. 25, 1934 ua/xrsaum gar m7 @610 3. Jawm wl'rolis ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 17, 1936 v This invention relates to a new and improved mechanism for testing the power of paper and other absorbent material, to absorb fluids such as ink and the like.

One of the objects-of the invention is to provide a mechanism for testing the facility' with which newsprint paper absorbs printing ink.

Another object of the invention is to utilize one or more photoelectric cells in making such test.

Another object of the invention is to provide mechanism of great simplicity andwhich will operate uniformly.

Other objects-of our invention will be set forth in the following description and drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment thereof, it being understood that the above statements of the objects of our invention are intended to generally explain the same without limiting it in any manprinting ink .l l is conpiece of paper that the edge of said p upon the top of the c movable or the container l0 may be a filling opening, which can be closed by means ofany suitable plug. v

The .piece of paper I3 'is of planar shape and the opening in the cover is made sufficiently small, and the piece of paper I3 is made sufficiently small, so that the inherent rigidity of the piece of paper will maintain the same in planar shape, although said piece of paper is unthe edge portion thereof.

supported, save at bly located within the contain- A pot I2 is mova er so that said pot l2 can be'moved up and down. Any suitable means may be employed for this. purpose. For example. the pot l2 can be connected at 22, to a lever 2|, which is pivotally conl8 to a suitable lug which projects from. or which is amiied to the container l0. Said lever 2| is rigid with an arm l9,- to which a stop screw 2ll'ls adjustably connected.

The pivot pin 22 may pass through the front and rear walls of the pot l2 and any suitable auxbe provided for maintaining the iliary means may position, as the top of the pot l2 in horizontal same is moved up and down.

UNITEDSTAT'ES PATENT OFFICE i [MECHANISM FOR MEASURING COLOR CHANGE Cleo E. Tarvin, New York, and William G. Dodge, Flushing, N. Y assignors to News Syndicate Co. Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Application January 25, 1934, Serial No. 708,182 I The weight of the ink within the pot I2 is .normally suilicient to maintain the top of the pot I 2 horizontal, as the same is moved up and down. However, any suitable guide or guides may be employed for this purpose. p v 5 In the dotted line position of the lever 2|, the pot I2 is below the top of the ink I I. In the full line position of the lever 2i, the pot l2 has been raised until the ink which is located within the pot l2, contacts with the piece of paper I3. 10

In operating the device the pot I2 is first submerged in the ink II and the pot I2 is then raised until its top is above the ink H; The pot I2 is held in this intermediate position until the surplus in". has flowed out therefrom. l5

Due to the surface tension of the ink, the top surface of the ink which is now located within the pot l2, projects slightly above the top of said pct 12. The meniscus of ink which is thus formed at the top of the pot I2 is substantially planar, 20 save for its edge portion, said edge portion being slightly convex.

When the pot I2 is now raised to the full line position shownjin the drawing, the piece of paper 13 floats upon the top of said meniscus, and the 5 paper absorbs the ink with a rapidity which depends upon the quality of the paper. This rapidity may be designated as the rate of absorption.

- It will be noted that the piece of paper l3 rests freely upon the top of the container III as there 30 is nothing to clamp or otherwise hold it in position. Hence the piece of paper I3 may be slightly raised from the top of the coverof the container l0, when the pot l2 has been raised to its top position. 35

The limit of the upper movement of the pot l2 is determined by. the adjustment of the screw 20 as the tip of this screw 20 abuts the side wall of the container l0, when the pot I2 is in its top position. 40

We do not wish to'exclude from the scope of the invention a device in which the piece of paper is clamped or otherwise held to the cover of the container III or to any other suitable support, but we prefer to have the piece of paper l3 rest ,5

freely upon the cover of the container III, or upon .any other suitable support.

Light is supplied from any suitable source H 'which may be an incandescent bulb of the like.

A condenser lens It produces a pencil of parallel 50 beams of light, which falls upon the piece of paper IS. The piece of paper I3 is scannedrby means of a pair of photoelectric cells l4 and 15. We can use one such photoelectric cell or more than two of such photoelectric cells, as the use of two to such cells is merely illustrative. The photoelectric cells I4 and I5 havebeen conventionally illustrated as such cells and their accompanying electric circuits are well known per se.'

The reading of the electric current which passes through said cells It and I5, is secured by means of a milliammeter 25, which isconnected to saidthe reading of the meter 25.

If desired, the observer can use a stop watch and he can observe the lowering in the reading of the meter 25, during the predetermined time period.

Any suitable means may be provided in the electric circuit of a, photoelectric cell or cells, in order to automatically control, and compensate for, any fluctuation in line voltage.

Likewise an automatic stop clock, which is operated by m'eans of an electric circuit, can be utilized and the electric circuit of this automatic stop clock device can be closed when the lever M has been moved to the full line position. Likewise a recording meter can be utilized and any other suitable means may be utilized for observing the absorption of the ink by the paper. Likewise penetration curves may be made directly, in order to provide comparative studies of the paper.-

When the photoelectric current reaches a predetermined value, said current can operate a relay which opens the circuit of a stop clock..

Since the apparatus which is disclosed herein provides a simple'and efilcient means for measuring the rate of change of color or shade, suitable color filters may be utilized formeasuring the change in light intensity of any wave length of light. Likewise the instrument maybe used for measuring the penetration of dyes into fabrics, the rate of ripening fruits and vegetables, and

for numerous other purposes.

Likewise, whenever we refer to a photoelectric cell or cells in the description or claims, we wish to include suitable photo-metric devices such as the Martens photometer.

We have shown a preferred embodiment oi. our invention, but it. is clear that numerous changes and omissions can be made without departing from its spirit.

We claim: 7

v 1. A device for'determining the absorption of a liquid coloring medium by porous material, comprising a support for the porous material to be tested, photoelectric means for scanning the piece of material, a vessel movably mounted below the. material and adapted to hold a confined mass of.

the liquid coloring medium, and means for moving said vessel upwardly towards said support socaused to contact with the porous material, said= porous material beingfreely located on said support.

. CLEO E. TARVIN.

WILLIAM G. DODGE. 

